The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-21

At O'Clock the Senate went into secret
session.
The doors were reOpened at 45O o'clock
and the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. 0uthwaite Of Ohio, from the commit
tee on Pacific railroads.. reported back the
following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Secretary Of the Treasury
De and Is hereby requested 10 inform the House
OIL Representatives as soon as practicable the
sums OF money which were owing TO the United
states ON the lst day Of January, 1887, from the
racine railroads which have received aid from
the government in bonds, giving the sums which
are due, principal and interest, under the
existing law. seyeraly and collectively, from
II the House bill No. 1918 should become a Law, law,
and its provisions become complied with.
The bill referred TO is that introduced by
Mr.. Outhwaite providing for payment of the
Pacific railroads Indebtedness TO the gov
ernment by instalments, so arranged that
the average date OF maturity shall be 0cto-
Der 1, 1921.
After several bills had been reported the
House resumed consideration Of the confer
ence report on the Interstate commerce bill
After short discussion on the motion Of
MIR. Crisp Of Georgia. by unanimous consent
1t was order that a session should be held
tonight for the discussion Of the report, and
that at the end Of that session the previous
question should be considered as ordered,
and that vote on adoption of the report
should be taken tomorrow morning.
After the reading Of the journal, Mr.. Dib-
Bile OF South Carolina favored a recommit-
ment OF the bill to the conference committee
for the purpose Of having its defects cor
reeted, and expressed the opinion that such
recommittal would not endanger the pas
sage Of the bill. But even should 1t result
in the defeat Of the bill, he contended that
1t would be better than for Congress 20
enact into law such ambiguous legislation.
The effect Of It enactment would be TO throw
into the courts the construction Of words
which should be construed by Congress. 1t
would be some years before that judicial in
terpretation would be given, and the result
would be postponement of the remedy
which was required to correct the wrongs
under which the people suffered today.
MIR. Bragg OF Wisconsin opposed the bill.
lew years ago the legal tender decision Of
the supreme Court had been reversed, and
public opinion said 1t had been reversed by
a vote Of two justices appointed at the
request OF certain railroad companies. Still
later public opinion had 1t that large sums
OF money were furnished to carry a cam
paign In Indiana as the prices OF appoint
ment He did not say public opinion was
correct. He expressed no opinion on that
point, but he did express the opinion that If
Congress assumed control Of all the railroad
companies in the United States 1t would
mass all the capital Of railroad companies,
and make it factor in federal elections. If
Congress provided for the appointment Of
persons VINO were to construe this law, it
would torce railroad capital into the political
canvass In order to secure the election Of a
man who would bend his knee to the wishes
OF the railroad companies. Therefore, he
regarded the bill as a dangerous exercise Of
power. He opposed the bill also because 1t
contained long and short haul feature.
Mr.. Grosven0r said the bill was a mass Of
incongruities. IL provided for the appoint
ment OF five commissioners, not more than
three Of whom should belong to the same
political party. How were the others to be
appointed? Was this clause put In to ena-
bic the President and Senate to declare
arate political party or only parasitical
growth upon the body Of some other polit-
ical party.
Mr.. Cutcheon suggested it would be worth
something to find that out.
Mr.. Long of Massachusetts did not agree
in wholesale denunciation of the bill. He
believed many Of its provisions should be-
come law. The only difficulty was In the
fourth and fifth sections, and II these sec
tions were dropped there would be prac-
tcally no objection to the bill. To vote
mo" was not to vote against the bill; IL
was to vote against concurrence. II the
House did not concur, the matter was still
pending eef0re it. 1t would then be proper
to adopt resolution expressing opinion in
regard TO certain amendments and the re-
port could be sent back to the conference.
The only amendment he would suggest was
to have the fourth section struck out He
believed he expressed the honest sentiment
of more than majority Of the House when
he said the bill would be acceptable II the
fourth section was stricken out. Its mean
ing was uncertain and it effect would be
injurious. To strike ii out would not harm
the bill at all.
Mr.. Findlay of Maryland criticized the
long and short haul feature
Mr.. Warner of Ohio expressed his ap-
proval of it, and Mr.. Holman Of Indiana,
while admitting it was open to criticism,
supported the bill.
The House then at $50 O'Clock took a re-
cess until 7.30 o'clock for an evening ses-
sion, to be for further debate on the confer
enee report.
There was a small attendance of members
at the evening session. All but four of the
nineteen members present spoke fayorably
Of the bill. The House at 1875 o'clock adj
jonrned